Just for kicks, here is Pete hitting the forehand drop shot, which you have seen Federer utilize in the latter stages of his career, especially in his victory at the French. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_f9LwxurHg#t=1m47s

*edit* Apparently some of the clips have been removed, hmmmm I'll try to re-find the clips. I took these links directly from that other thread I mentioned earlier

of course the ones that didn't make it over the net, are not highlight material, but this sure shows he had the option available off both wings. That some folks did not remember him trying many, probably shows prudent restraint suggesting discipline. Can't imagine a player of his caliber, not having one in the bag-o-tricks.

watching those vids, pete had the weirdest topspin backhand of the modern era..

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it's because he didn't always get a full shoulder-turn and fought off quite a few from a pretty open stance with a bent-ish elbow. having the world's heaviest racket helped with that. he could rip it when he was in position though.

watching those vids, pete had the weirdest topspin backhand of the modern era..

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And.. one of the worst. They used to attack that weak shot at RG... Pete maybe would get out of the 2nd round. If Pete had to play on today's slow hard courts.. he would have had to fix that sorry shot.

Pete hit a dropper? Hmmm...interesting. I do know he could half-volley with stunning pace and depth!

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He was outstanding in that regard... I can't remember him hitting many drop shots. His basic game was to HOLD.. HOLD..HOLD.. not work too hard returning serve and go for one break.. or getting to a tiebreak. Great around the net and his overhead was money. . No one had a better 2nd serve in his era.

I feel like this isn't so much a question of how much Pete used the drop shot, but rather how much more often it is used in today's game. A combination of longer baseline rallies, increased athleticism of the average players and slower playing surfaces, its generally harder to just hit through players like some in the 1990s. Of course Pete could hit drop shots, he hit plenty of drop volleys but from what I've watched of that era of tennis, the drop shot was not viewed in the way it is today.